What’s up with Newt Gingrich? Gallup’s daily tracking poll, for one thing

posted at 7:10 pm on February 29, 2012 by Tina Korbe

While Mitt Romney continues to rack up delegates, each of the other three GOP candidates must still be able to see a path to the nomination for himself. Otherwise, they’d drop out, right?

For Newt Gingrich, that path runs through Georgia and — he hopes — Tennessee, Ohio, Texas and Oklahoma.

Gingrich predicted during an appearance at the Georgia Statehouse that he will win the state’s contest. Georgia is one of 10 holding primaries and caucuses next Tuesday and Gingrich predicted he’d “win it decisively.”

“That is the key building block that we have to have to move forward in the presidential campaign. Georgia really does matter,” Gingrich said. He was joined by Republican Gov. Nathan Deal and a few dozen legislators, but took no questions from reporters.

The former House speaker has made clear he needs a win in Georgia on Super Tuesday, but has stopped short of saying a loss would force him from the race. He told CNN on Tuesday that “we unequivocally have to win Georgia.”

Betting on the South, Gingrich skipped primaries in Michigan and Arizona – both won by Mitt Romney – to save money and focus on delegate-rich states that vote with Georgia on March 6, including Tennessee, Ohio and Oklahoma.

Gingrich has a comfortable lead in Georgia; the RCP poll average puts him nine points ahead of his competitors in his home state. He doesn’t, however, fare nearly so well in the other states he’s supposedly targeting. In Ohio, for example, Gingrich polls at an average of 18 percent, behind Santorum’s 34.3 percent and Mitt Romney’s 26 percent. In Tennessee, Gingrich polls in fourth place, according to the Vanderbilt poll. Oklahoma looks similarly unconquerable for Gingrich.

Yet, today, Gingrich has at least one bit of poll improvement to tout: His Gallup support rating jumped two points today. With his personal life out of the limelight and his ideas about energy policy front-and-center, at least a few folks apparently have remembered Gingrich ain’t all bad.

Newt Gingrich has engineered two comebacks already. Is a third out of the realm of possibility? Never say never.

Sure. The problem is that every comeback is going to be short-lived because what is engineering them is the fact that voters have very short memories. As soon as the attention of the public is focused on him, people will remember why Gingrich is indeed “all bad” and his numbers will crater again.

This is terrible news for Santorum though. He probably won’t even make Super Tuesday as the ABR flavor of the month.

My prediction: it’s going to be Newt. He may be a little slow getting going, but Santorum is getting weighed down, the Establishment is getting nervous about Mitt and the Death Star won’t be able to do as much damage from here on out.

The south will be the key and when/if Santorum drops out. I hope Newt rises in the polls enough to do well on Super Tuesday and gain some momentum. Anyway, I hope at least Santorum or Newt drop out before it’s too late to stop Mitt.

Newt is the best we have in this primary, but I don’t know how he can get back in. Mitt flat out sucks, and is not even conservative.That is a fact even though I actually am kind of warming to him on a sympathy level. He will not be POTUS. Santorum is very likable but he just cannot zip it up per his mouth. Nobody really wants to hire a nanny even if his heart is in the right place. Newt knows his stuff,and is an excellent spokesman with great ideas. He just needs to lose the grandiosity, and the notion that he needs to fix everything in the world.

Actually, it just occurred to me that if it came down to a choice between Santorum and Gingrich for the nomination, I would actively campaign for and contribute money to Newt. Thank goodness there’s Romney.

Actually, it just occurred to me that if it came down to a choice between Santorum and Gingrich for the nomination, I would actively campaign for and contribute money to Newt. Thank goodness there’s Romney.

BettyRuth on February 29, 2012 at 7:30 PM

Yep that’s what helps Romney in the primary, he’s got Santorum to make him look attractive. I would vote for Romney before Santorum, and I am no Romney fan.

The merry-go-round of the “not Romney”. The ABR crowd learns serial one night stands from BJ Clinton.

galtani on February 29, 2012 at 7:31 PM

This thread isn’t about Romney. As I pointed out up the thread the real overlooked phenomena is the Anyone But Gingrich crowd it made of up the entire media. ABG, and the thread baiting in this thread about Gingrich, proves my point.

One, do you own a thread ? Two, did Ed appoint you as a thread monitor? Three, my comment was not about Romney, but the “not Romney”, which Newt certainly is one. One does not have to be a doctor to understand something as simple as that

The HA writer-gang is much to young to remember the late Davy Jones. Would be okay to have a R.I.P thread to “monkee” around in, though.

whatcat on February 29, 2012 at 7:33 PM

Well, let me be a rebel and say something about the passing of Davy Jones: I WORSHIPPED HIM. I thought he was the baddest little Englishman going. I was distraught when I realized that I was at least 4 inches taller than him. God Bless.

Newt is the only adult in the whole crowd. And, no, I don’t care if you do a FIFY and change adult to adulterer. I have no intention of marrying the guy, I just want him to use his talents to bring America back to greatness.

Like I said, you are a moron. You don’t have to state that you are not a Palin supporter, because you couldn’t have your head so far up Romney’s butt and be a Palin supporter at the same time. Also, you are not witty, you don’t make any case for your guy except to attack other people, so I am done responding to you at all.

Whoa! Major blazing headline link no less!
Way to go Tina!
Now is the time to ask Ed and Allahs boss for a raise and that corner office Allah has been holding down.
Allahs classic snark is unbeatable but even he can’t grab a Drudge Headliner!
You be da Girl you Go Girl!

Newt is the only adult in the whole crowd. And, no, I don’t care if you do a FIFY and change adult to adulterer. I have no intention of marrying the guy, I just want him to use his talents to bring America back to greatness.

One, do you own a thread ? Two, did Ed appoint you as a thread monitor? Three, my comment was not about Romney, but the “not Romney”, which Newt certainly is one. One does not have to be a doctor to understand something as simple as that

galtani on February 29, 2012 at 7:46 PM

Oh you’re a keeper, you just jump right in the boat….hook, line, and sinker stinker.